Safety razor blade sharpener



July 4, w. w. PHILLIPS SAFETY RAzdR BLADE SHARPENER 7 Filed Nov. s, 1943 Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Walter w. Phillips, Selbyville, Del.

Application November 3, 1943, Serial No. 509,005

(or. 51-2a5) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful safety razor blade sharpeners, and has for one of its objects to provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive and effective holder for a safety razor blade, particularly of the double edge type, that does not require fastening means, clamping jaws and the like to retain the blade in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide a razor blade sharpener consisting of a holder of unique construction in combination with a concave Whetstone or sharpening block.

Safety razor blades have been sharpened by rubbing them back and forth on a sharpening or honing element, the latter sometimes having a curved surface. The blade is usually engaged by a persons forefinger and the pressure applied generally flexes the blade to such an extent that the cutting edges are bent or turned to one side out of alignment so that thereafter such blade is practically useless. Therefore, a further object of the resent invention is to provide a razor blade holder that will retain a blade in a fiat condition and position so that the beveled sharpened edges fit the inclination of the concave surface of the Whetstone or sharpening block.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the holder with a perforated rubber face to provide for some suction action to hold a blade in place and also to provide a rib that aligns the blade and. prevents edgewise displacement.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describe its construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a art thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a safety razor blade sharpener constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the manner of sharpening a safety razor blade.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fi 4.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan or face view of the holder.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with a razor blade in place thereon.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of the sharpener.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied I0 is the Whetstone or sharpening block of any suitable material or composition having a concave honing surface ll providing inclinations to suitably fit the sharpened edges of a safety razor blade to be honed.

For use in connection with this whetstone I provide a razor blade holder l2 comprising any suitably shaped body l3 having a bottom surface approximately the same size as but preferablyslightly larger than a razor blade, Fig. 5. On said bottom surface is mounted a pad l4, preferably of soft, live rubber, although rubber and other compositions can be used. This pad has vacuum perforations or holes l5 which are positioned so as to be covered by solid parts of the razor blade I6 when the latter is mounted on the holder. Projecting from the face of the pad I4 in the longitudinal center thereof is a rib I1, terminating short of the ends of the pad and being of suitable dimensions to fit the central slot of the blade and prevent said blade from slipping edgewise relative to the holder.

In practice, the blade I6 is laid on a fiat surface and some soapy water, or lather, is placed on the exposed surface of the blade, or on the face of the pad, or both and then the holder is placed over the blade with the rib in registration with the slot in the blade, and pressed down tight causing the blade to adhere to said holder without the use of other or mechanical retaining means, such as clamps. Of course, it will be obvious that the holder may be held in an inverted position in one hand of the user and the lather and blade applied with the other hand.

The holder, with the blade thereon, is then placed on the concave surface ll of the Whetstone l0 and moved back and forth, either transversely or longitudinally for a desired number of strokes, after which the blade is inverted and the sharpening operations repeated. During the sharpening or honing manipulations the blade is maintained in an absolutely fiat position or condition so that the bevel of the cutting edges fit the inclined sections of the concave surface of the Whetstone, as suggested by Fig. 6, and the cutting edges will not be bent or turned out of alignment, which results in a wire edge, but will be retained in proper condition and resharpened to a keen edge.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact dedetails of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the limit of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1. A holder for safety razor blades comprising a body having a fiat bottom surface, and a compressible pad fixed to said bottom vacuum holes therein so disposed as to be covered by solid portions of a blade laid on the pad when the longitudinal and transverse axes of both pad and blade coincide.

2. The razor blade holder of claim 1, in combination with a rib in the longitudinal center of the pad, the ends of said rib terminating short of the ends of said pad.

WALTER W. PHILLIPS. 

